What are the possible reasons why your retinol isn’t working?Updated a year ago
There are a few other factors that may impact how your skin reacts to retinol or retinal, so here are a few questions you may want to consider.
1) Are you using the right retinol?
Not all retinoids are created equal. Depending on the form of retinol used in your product, some retinoids work more slowly, and some may not show results at all. In terms of non-prescription retinol products, serums that contain retinal will work the fastest and show more significant results than other forms of retinol.
If you’ve been using a retinol serum for over 3 months and see absolutely no changes in your skin, the product you’ve selected is probably too weak for your skin. On the other hand, if your skin is still showing signs of irritation, the retinoid you selected might be too strong.
2) What was your skin’s starting condition?
The starting condition of your skin will have a big impact on how retinol’s effects make themselves known.
If you start retinol when your skin is in good condition with minimal photodamage, the results will be subtle — there’s only so much for you to improve on! While retinol can still help refine your skin texture, most of its action will likely be preventative.
3) What kind of skincare were you using previously?
If your skincare routine went beyond the essentials (i.e. sunscreen, moisturizer, and cleanser) and already included skin-renewing ingredients like glycolic acid and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), you may not notice results as quickly from retinol. Retinol has a slightly different mechanism of action than these ingredients — it impacts the skin on a deeper level––so those results show themselves in the long term.
See the change for yourself
How to tell if retinol is working? To start, be patient — retinol needs time to work. With diligent use, most users see visible improvement to their skin tone, smoothness, and breakouts within the first few weeks.
Fine lines and small imperfections take several weeks to months to start to fade, while deeper lines and more significant hyperpigmentation may take several months.
The important thing is to use your retinol consistently, and make sure to have a reference photo to remind you where you started!